


(i) missed call

by achievingelysium



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Archived, Background Relationships, Book 2: The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus), Canon-Compliant, Family, Family Reunions, Gen, Homecoming, Hurt/Comfort, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Post-The Heroes of Olympus, Zine, what we deserved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:19:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24435751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achievingelysium/pseuds/achievingelysium
Summary: From a dead letter lost in the mail, addressed to PERCY JACKSON, sent by SALLY JACKSON:Dear Percy,Please come home—After Sally Jackson’s son disappears, messages begin to appear.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Sally Jackson (Percy Jackson), Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Paul Blofis/Sally Jackson, Percy Jackson & Sally Jackson
Comments: 21
Kudos: 249





	(i) missed call

_ From a dead letter lost in the mail, addressed to PERCY JACKSON, sent by SALLY JACKSON: _

_ Dear Percy, _

_ Please come home— _

_ Ψ _

_ Three new voicemails. _

_ To listen to each message starting from the first, press: 1. To listen to most recent message, press: 2. _

**_Beep._ **

_ “Uh, hi, Sally. It’s… it’s Annabeth. I have—”  _ On the other end, there’s a shaky breath. “ _ I have news. Please call me back when you can.” _

_ Beep. _

_ “It’s me again. _ ” Annabeth sounds like she’s been crying, her voice hoarse.  _ “I know you’re at work, but… it’s really important. Call me.” _

_ Beep. _

_ “Annabeth here. I know you’re getting off work soon so I hope you hear this message.”  _ A pause.  _ “Um… I’m on my way to your apartment, so by the time you get home, I’ll be there. Please come soon, Sally.” _

The phone crackles in Sally’s ear. She’s about to lower it to end the voicemail; there’s a heavy feeling in her stomach that doesn’t sit right. Annabeth hasn’t sounded this stressed since the Battle of Manhattan, and Sally is already picturing blood on Annabeth’s skin, matted in her hair.

Just as she’s about to hang up, Annabeth speaks, her voice in Sally’s ear.

_ “It’s Percy.” _

The phone drops.

Percy, she finds out, is missing.

_ Ψ _

The couch dips when Sally sits next to Paul, the worn blue cushion well-loved but old. She can’t bring herself to replace it, though—this is the couch where Paul had first kissed her, where she’d spent a thousand nights pouring over her manuscript, where she used to curl up to watch old movies with Per—

“Hey,” Paul murmurs, facing her absentmindedly and dropping a kiss on her forehead. His reading glasses are low on his nose as he grades his students’ English papers.

“Good day?”

Paul hums. “Second period is still the worst,” he says, but there’s a fond twist to his mouth.

Sally snags an essay to read. “What’re these about?”

Paul stiffens, just a little. “We’re covering epics and mythology,” he says.

Scattered on the floor are a couple crumpled papers—they’re probably old, moved off the coffee table so Paul can have enough space. She goes to pick them up.

_ The New York Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing male depicted in the attached photo. Details are as follows: _

**_NAME:_ ** _ Percy Jackson _

**_AGE:_ ** _ 16 _

**_LOCATION:_ ** _ Manhattan _

_ The missing was last seen on December 13, 2009 after leaving his apartment at approximately 3:00 PM… _

Sally’s breath catches in her chest, and she thinks the papers might be burning in her fingers, an offering at an altar. She drops them back on the floor and snatches an essay, trying not to think about it.

She reads through one and thumbs through another. Gilgamesh. The Odyssey. The gods, oh goddess, oh maiden friend of the flowers. Heroes, fate-touched mortals, Jason and Achilles. Perseus, destroyer of cities.

Sally tastes smoke when she closes her eyes and prays to the gods.

_ Ψ _

It’s three in the morning.

The light is on in the hall, warm and golden, and she’s turned on the little lamp on Percy’s desk. She kicks up her feet and leans back into the messy bed, pressing her shoulder to the pillow. The scent in it is fading, and it’s been replaced by the smell of Annabeth’s lemon shampoo.

It’s a relief to know that Percy’s alive, that he’s been whisked away across the country on the gods’ whim. She can finally breathe. Now Sally only has to wait for more news, for when her boy can come home.

Paul’s snoring drifts from the other room, and Sally takes a moment to listen. Then she pulls her laptop closer.

She’d still been awake when she’d gotten feedback from her editor on her manuscript.

She reads through the few comments. A couple of spelling errors that make Sally frown, a note on a section that could be cut, a correction here or there.

Joselyn’s sent a long email full of her thoughts, talking about this point and that. At the end, she’s written:

_ It felt so real. The way you wrote about the bond between Laura and her son. A part of me wishes you’d written about whether she finds him or not, instead of leaving the ending open. But I guess that’s what’s captivating about it. _

_ I like your take on Orpheus. What inspired you—how did you capture those emotions? _

Sally opens a fresh email.

There’s the sound of the door opening and footsteps creaking. Paul’s snoring has faded away, and he’s in the doorway, watching.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

She shakes her head and goes back to writing her response. Paul sits next to her and puts an arm around her shoulder.

_ Did you know,  _ Sally writes _ , my son went missing not too long ago. _

_ Ψ _

Paul’s bent over the kitchen table, looking older than he has ever been. The hanging light makes his hair look white. His shoulders are shaking a little, and Sally crosses the room to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Paul?”

He’s holding a card that’s caught a tear, a wet spot that smudges blue ink.

“Just found this,” Paul says, using his sleeve to wipe his eyes. “From last year.”

It’s a thank you card. Sally carefully eases it from his hands to read:

_ Paul— _

_ I wasn’t too sure about you at first. Mom and I have had a bad history with guys. Can’t blame Dad (he’s a god!), but… anyway. _

_ You proved me wrong. You gave me a chance where a lot of people would give up. You tried. You fought for me, accepted me, and welcomed me into your life—and you love Mom. _

_ Also, you totally killed a monster, and we play basketball together on Tuesdays. And… you’re kinda like a dad to me. _

_ It’s not much, but thank you for everything. _

_ Ψ _

There’s a voicemail waiting when Sally gets home from work, exhausted from the night shift. She tosses her bag onto the kitchen counter and slips off her work shirt, replacing it with a light school sweater Paul’s left over a chair. He was probably already asleep when the call came.

Google says  _ Alaska _ .

“Alaska,” Sally mutters, trying to think of anyone who’d want to call from there. Not family, and hopefully not any salespeople. But not any demigods, either, some of whom have her phone number. That, Sally knows, is the land beyond the gods.

The landline blinks at her lazily, waiting, and Sally holds the phone to her ear and listens.

_ Beep. _

There’s nothing at first. Sally thinks it might be a mistaken call.

In the distance she can hear a rhythmic sound,  _ chug-chug, chug-chug _ , like a train, followed by a horn.

_ “Mom.” _

Sally slides to the floor when she hears Percy speak, her knees too weak to support her weight.

“ _ Hey, I’m alive. _ ”

His voice is so clear, even with the loud noise in the background. When she closes her eyes, she can almost feel him there, crouching next to her, a hand on her shoulder.

_ “Hera put me to sleep for a while, and then she took my memory, and…” _

She starts crying when Percy falters. Her boy had grown up fighting, had been born to prophecy, had led and fought a war—still the gods have never been satisfied. Immortals never are.

_ “Anyway, I’m okay. I’m sorry. I’m on a quest— I’ll make it home.” _

Sally clamps a hand over her mouth to keep her sobs quiet and hangs on desperately to the phone. He’s leaving again. He’s leaving again, only a few seconds left.

“ _ I’ll make it home. I promise. Love you. _ ”

“Percy,” she whispers, “ _ Percy _ , Percy.”

_ Message end. No other messages. Repeat? _

Sally listens to it five more times, her heart pounding in her chest. It’s him. 

She wants to dance and spin, wants to run to the window and open it so she can scream.

She doesn’t do any of it. Instead, Sally plays it again and records it on her cell so she can carry it with her. Then she presses four on speed-dial, standing up on shaky legs to go wake Paul.

The phone rings. Once, twice, and Sally doesn’t think it’ll go through until—

“ _ Hello? _ ” a groggy voice says. “ _ Sally? _ ”

She tries to form the words and can’t make it to the bedroom, gripping the back of the couch and leaning on it for support.

The voice on the other end sounds more alert now.

“ _ What’s wrong? What happened—a monster? Did… _ ”

“Annabeth,” Sally hiccups, covering her mouth with a hand briefly. “You’d better come over. It’s Percy.”

_ Ψ _

Sally is busy in the kitchen, so she doesn’t pay much attention when the door opens.

Then Paul says, “I brought company.”

She pops around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron, and finds a troop of demigods standing awkwardly in the doorway. The only one moving is Annabeth, casually shrugging out of a hoodie—Percy’s, Sally distantly recognizes.

“Oh, Annabeth,” she says, and Sally wraps her arms around her.

“Hi, Sally,” Annabeth says in her ear, and her voice is tired. “Sorry I haven’t come to see you in a while. It’s been busy.”

Sally pulls back and studies the girl. She is as she’s always been, an oversized camp shirt over jeans, dagger on her hip. There’s a little more space than there should be under the baggy clothes, Sally can tell, and dark circles under her eyes.

The three behind her look a little confused, like they aren’t sure what to do.

“You’re staying for dinner, right?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth says.

The blonde one—leader of the trio—opens his mouth and closes it.

“We don’t want to intrude,” he says, glancing at Annabeth. “Uh, Jason, by the way. That’s Piper and Leo.”

Sally feels something warm fill her chest. Annabeth’s told her about them.

“At least cookies, then,” she amends, though she knows she’ll get them to concede by the time dinner rolls around. “Come on, you’re all welcome.”

The three gingerly perch in the stools by the kitchen counter. Paul kisses her on the cheek as he blows by.

“This means they’ve got news,” he whispers in her ear. “Good, I’ll bet.” Then he grins, and Sally smiles back, pressing another kiss to his lips.

While the cookies—bright blue—make their way into the hands of hungry demigods, Annabeth fills Sally and Paul in.

“We’re leaving soon,” she explains, breaking a cookie and watching chocolate ooze. “We’re heading to California, and after that…”

Paul reaches for Sally’s hand and clasps it in both of his own. He runs his finger over her wedding band.

“We’ll see,” Jason says, and everyone at the counter exchanges a look. Another war is coming.

“Anyway,” Piper says, her voice calming. She raises a brow at Leo, shoveling down cookies like there’s no tomorrow. “Slow down, repair boy.”

“They’re good,” Leo says, voice muffled, and Paul laughs. She hasn’t heard that sound in a while.

They end up staying for dinner and a little while after. Sally makes them promise to send her news when anything happens.

“Sure, Mrs. Jackson,” Leo promises. He elbows Jason. “Imagine the headlines, dude.”

_ LOCAL DEMIGODS GO ON HARROWING, WORLD-SAVING QUEST _ , Jason writes on the whiteboard by the door.

_ And come home, _ Annabeth finishes. She squeezes Sally tight around the middle. Sally tries to breathe the smell of Annabeth’s hair and remember the feeling of her arms. She won’t see her again for a long time, she knows.

Then Annabeth lets go and hugs Paul. Paul puts a hand on her shoulder and says something quietly, his face serious. Then his lips quirk up into a handsome smile.

“Bring my son home,” Sally tells them as they’re grabbing their things.

Annabeth smiles, and her eyes flash with a steely determination Percy had fallen for.

“I will.”

Sally shoves a package of cookies at her. “And take these for the road.”

_ Ψ _

“—in a, what do you call it? Iris Message?”

Paul’s beaming at her as he picks her up and swings her around and around until there’s no air left in her.

“Really?” she asks, breathless.

“I talked to him, Sally,” Paul says, voice wondrous. His eyes are shining with unshed tears. “He’s coming back.”

It’s been close to a year. The months have passed, sharp to the touch and empty, but this—

“He was there, right in front of me,” Paul says. “So close I could reach out and touch him.”

_ Ψ _

There’s voices in the hall outside the apartment. Sally pays them no mind as she straightens the pictures on the wall.

There’s Percy, no taller than her knees as he plays in the waves. There’s Paul and Percy together, grinning at the camera with birthday cake in their hands. There’s Sally herself, playing cards and caught in the moment by Annabeth.

In the distance, squeezed through the cracks in the wall, someone says, “I’ll see you back at camp.”

More conversation, too low to hear, but someone steps on the loud floorboard just outside the apartment. The knob jiggles for a moment, and then there’s a rap on the door.

Sally opens it a crack to see.

Uncut black hair, dark as ink. Deep skin the color of warm sand. Eyes like the stormy sea. A tired, weary face with a little scar that seems to light up when Sally appears.

Percy pushes the door in a little, smiling so wide it makes Sally’s chest hurt.

“Hi, Mom,” he says. “Sorry I lost my keys. And my memory.”

Sally laughs. Percy pushes his hair back out of his face, his eyes gleaming in the light.

“Percy,” she says, his name spilling from her mouth like an answered prayer. “Percy, my baby boy.”

“Mom,” he says. Softer and more somber. Percy says it into her hair as she presses her face into his shoulder and digs her fingers tight around his neck because she’s scared he’ll disappear if she doesn’t keep holding him.

“Gods,  _ Percy _ —”

“I love you,” he says, and she can feel him say it, his ribs humming with the gravity of it. “I missed you so  _ much _ .”

“I love you,” Sally says back, sobbing into his shoulder. “I love you— Paul! Paul, come here!”

Paul comes thundering from the bedroom, but he stops when he sees who she’s with. He swallows.

“Percy?”

Percy wipes at his eyes.

“Paul,” he says, and Paul comes to clasp his shoulder.

“You’re home,” Paul marvels, and he puts his arms around the both of them. Pressed against their chests Sally can hear the beating of their hearts.

No recordings. No letters. No voicemails or Iris Messages. Percy, Paul, and Sally, all of them real and together again.

“I’m home,” Percy says. “I’m home.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written for More Than Myths, a Riordanverse zine. Um.... then I forgot it existed. So here it is one year later than it was originally published. since this one's more recent i'm not putting it under achievingelysium archives, but if you're interested— i'm uploading a lot of old pjo fic from ffn to ao3 under that pseud, so you can check them out.
> 
> Work to be backdated: June 27, 2019. 
> 
> yes yes it's me achieving elysium remember me from ffn, you fools i still love percabeth. whatever
> 
> Tumblr: [queenangst](http://queenangst.tumblr.com)


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